EP: Let’s Talk Daggers – Fantastic Contraption

Every band wants to class themselves as something fresh, unique and exciting. However despite many claiming this nine out of ten times your average band are going to be another metalcore or pop-punk shaped piece of conveyor belt crap dropped in front of us for mass consummation. But when Let’s Talk Daggers claim they “make music that doesn’t fit into any particular genre”, they may be one of the few bands that can genuinely back up such bold claims.

They find themselves as a band with quite a lot of expectation to live up to. Having a home on the excellent Tangled Talk records (who’ve released the likes of Kerouac, Pariso and Gnarwolves), and furthermore also part of the once much blogged about #UKSWELL scene, puts them in the company of some very fine bands (even if that scene has produced more prematuredemises than success stories thus far). However Fantastic Contraption sees Let’s Talk Daggers push past their peers to claim what is very much a unique identity.

Finding more in common with the likes of The James Cleaver Quintet and the now defunct Blakfish, Fantastic Contraption is a cavalcade of disjointed riffs and yelping vocals that propel the band through this mini album with no time for a breather. The dual vocal assault of ‘No Business Being Alive’ and ramshackle punk of ‘Round and About’ are pure unbridled chaos, while the album closing rumbles of ‘Footnotes’ pack a hefty enough punch to see the lads hold their own amongst the UKHC heavyweights.

“YOU BLOODY HYPOCRITE!” I hear you cry (well, type). “You harped on about this band being unique then compare them to a bunch of already existing bands!” True, however they embrace a level of the absurd into their music previously only seen in Protest The Heroes videos. Although it may attract some confused faces on first listen the poppy ooh-oohs of ‘#1 Spicy Bugger’, trumpet stabs of ‘Have A Gabble’, and Queen-esque riffing that appears at the end of ‘Humannequin’ are as welcome as they are bizarre.

Watch the video to ‘Have A Gabble’ by Let’s Talk Daggers:

If there’s a downside to this beloved alternative scene, it’s that it can often take itself that little bit too seriously. While the amount of quality output being crafted on our shores recently is clearly a good thing, Fantastic Contraption makes a nice change from bands with a penchant for being dour faced and grimacing through their faux anguish. Not only do Let’s Talk Daggers deliver a feverent and aggressive level of pandemonium but also mix a giddy disregard for the norm with a twisted pop sensibility that makes Fantastic Contraption essential listening.

5/6

Sounds Like: Rolo Tomassi, Blakfish, The James Cleaver QuintetStandout Tracks: No Business Being Alive, Have A Gabble, Footnotes